As a woman nears menopause, hormone levels fluctuate dramatically. Estrogen and progesterone bear the brunt. As a family practice physician Lady Lake specialist points out, twice as many women face insomnia as men. The fluctuating hormones may cause you to stay up at night or lack quality sleep. The ripple effect is mood swings, weight gain or loss, low sex drive, and psychological problems. All these, since your hormones are responsible, but what can you do about it?
The Sleep Cycle and Female Hormones
Your sleeping pattern greatly affects hormones, and the hormones, in turn, affect the sleep cycle. In the perimenopause stage, hormone levels decline, particularly estrogen. Estrogen impacts the circadian rhythm and may cause you to stay up at night due to the hot flashes you experience. Also, when progesterone levels dip, it is hard to get sleep.
The other 48 hormones in your body also play a key role in the sleep-wake cycle. Some of the major hormones that affect your quality of sleep include:
- Cortisol
- Adrenaline
- Insulin
- Thyroid
- Melatonin
- Growth hormones
- Hunger hormones
The circadian rhythm controls the release of cortisol and insulin. During bedtime, cortisol and insulin levels drop and peak at about 5:00 AM. During menopause, pregnancy, or the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the sex hormones, progesterone, estrogen, and the above hormone levels fluctuate.
As such, your body will cut the sleep levels and quality. Since proper sleep is imperative for your body to function well, you should not ignore insomnia caused by hormonal imbalances.
Declining hormone levels become more prominent as you age. This does not mean sleep deprivation due to hormone imbalance occurs only at 50 and above. You may experience a hormone imbalance even at 30.
Remedies for Sleep Deprivation Caused by Hormonal Change
Many “sleep experts” will recommend buying new linen sheets, switching off blue screens an hour before bed, and the like. While the above techniques help induce sleep, they do not guarantee you won’t wake up in the middle of the night.
The surefire remedy to sleep deprivation caused by hormonal imbalance is hormone replacement therapy. As hormone replacement therapy is commonly known, HRT, is a medical intervention that replaces hormones in your body using synthetic hormones. Hormone replacement therapy may take several approaches depending on the level of hormones in your body. You may wear an estrogen patch, take a progestin pill or take estrogen-only injections. It is best to visit a women’s health facility like Integrated Family Medical Center to receive an accurate diagnosis and chart a treatment plan.
HRT works best for women in perimenopause and menopause. However, if pregnant, you may seek HRT after the doctor elucidates the risks and possible side effects.
We know that during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and onset of menopause, it can be hard to get quality sleep with hormones fluctuating all over the place. But do not fret. Integrated Family Medical Center is the help you need to get quality Zzz. Head into one of the centers and receive personalized hormone replacement therapy.